UP SCHLITT'S CREEK?

Cam Schlittler has been one of the best stories of the Yankees' season. The stuff is electric, the poise has been impressive, and perhaps most importantly, he's shown the kind of command that usually takes young pitchers years to develop.

But there's a fine line between confidence and cockiness.

I was one of the first people to roll my eyes when Schlittler was tweeting "Keep hating on us" back in March. MARCH. The Yankees were playing well, sure, but maybe pump the brakes a little. In reality, this kid hadn't accomplished anything then. Now he's getting real good, he's going to be great, but alittle early to act like Cy Young, no? 

There's a reason veterans always say this game humbles you. Baseball has a funny way of finding anyone who starts believing their own headlines.

That's why Tuesday night's outing against the Guardians caught my attention.  For the first time this season, Schlittler looked mortal. Cleveland tagged him for five runs, four earned, on five hits in just 4.1 innings. He struck out only three batters, marking the first time since September of last year that he'd allowed more than three runs in a start.

One bad outing isn't a crisis. Every great pitcher gets knocked around eventually. The bigger concern was what happened underneath the box score. Schlittler's fastball averaged 96.8 mph, roughly one mile per hour lower than normal. His cutter, sinker, and curveball also showed velocity drops. Across the board, his stuff just wasn't quite as sharp.

According to the New York Post, the dip was largely attributed to mechanical inconsistencies affecting his four-seam fastball, which then dragged down his overall velocity. Aaron Boone noted that it was the second straight start in which Schlittler struggled to find a consistent feel for his mechanics. While some wondered about arm fatigue, Schlittler insisted there were no injury concerns and no structural soreness.

That's encouraging. But it's still something worth monitoring. Look, the league adjusts. That's what it does. Every young pitcher looks unhittable until major-league hitters start collecting data, studying tendencies, and making counter-adjustments. Then comes the real test.

Can you adjust back? I actually think Schlittler can. He seems smart enough and competitive enough to make those changes. One rough start doesn't suddenly erase months of success. Still, maybe this is a reminder that baseball isn't conquered in March.

Thankfully, Gerrit Cole has looked exceptional since returning, giving the Yankees some stability if Schlittler experiences a few bumps along the way.

And if there's a lesson here, it's a simple one: don't start taking victory laps before you've run the race. Confidence is necessary. Every successful pitcher has it. But when you're a kid with barely any major-league experience, acting like you've already arrived can come back to bite you.

As for Schlittler, maybe he's still the real deal. Maybe this is nothing more than a temporary mechanical hiccup. I believe that over time he will be a true monster and success story, but I'm a realist.

Look, for months, Yankees fans have been calling him "the Schlitt."

The next few starts will tell us whether he really is the Schlitt—or whether the honeymoon phase is officially over.